Yesterday, January 22nd 2024, the road sweeper unit made several passes up and down on Kickham Street, east of Thurles Town centre, Co. Tipperary. Their purpose for the crew’s occupancy, was not to collect litter or debris relating to ‘Storm Isha’, but rather to suck up loose gravel, generated by the cold tarmacadam that had been brought into play, to fill giant craters just 14 days before.
Street sweeper unit gathering gravel on Kickham St. Thurles. Pic: G. Willoughby. Mid-morning January 22nd 2024.
Thankfully, the cold spell experienced over the past two weeks had held this tarmac together, now that the rainy season has arrived, as we have experienced since Saturday last; unprecedented heavy traffic and heavy rain has, as expected, loosened the cold tarmacadam, resulting in the road surface becoming one long gravel driveway. (See image hereunder).
Gravel on Kickham Street, Thurles, before the Road Sweeper Unit arrived; brought to my attention by stones striking the toughened glass on my front window, latter broken by flying surface gravel, sometime previously. Pic: G. Willoughby. Early Morning of January 22nd 2024.
Yesterday’s road sweeping exercise resulted in a two man operation. One driving the sweeper unit, while another employee attempted to keep pace, slightly to the fore, using a leaf blower to drive loose gravel from pavements; slung their by the wheels of vehicles and aimed at unsuspecting pedestrians.
Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive Tipperary Co. Council), was busy yesterday, rubbing shoulders and having his picture taken with Fianna Fáil’s Minister Mr Darragh O’Brien and Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Mr Jackie Cahill (Thurles); all 3 individuals attempting to boost both their images and personal expenses, while officially opening a children’s playground in Newport, Co. Tipperary, which by the way, cost almost €3 million to deliver. They were then later joined in their promotional picture by Mr Michael Lowry TD. (Thurles), who climbed in on the act, at Woodview Close, Nenagh, where Mr Darragh O’Brien officially cut the ‘Munster GAA blue ribbon’, suitably chosen, to open 10 social homes.
Meanwhile, back on Kickham Street, in forgotten Thurles, Co. Tipperary, within 4 hours after the sweeper had sucked up much of the loose gravel and departed, the last remnants of the streets cold tarmacked surface broke loose, leaving behind massive crates. (See image hereunder).
Kickham Street, Thurles yesterday afternoon, after the road sweeper unit had returned to base. Pic: G. Willoughby. Afternoon of January 22nd 2024.
We ask the question again and again, “For what are Thurles residents paying property tax ?” We get absolutely nothing in return, except silence or arrogance from officialdom, same disposed to exaggerate their own worth or self importance; often dished out in an overbearing manner”.
Time has now come to name the Tipperary Municipal District officials responsible.
Ms Sharon Scully (Thurles District Administrator), together with Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive of Tipperary Co. Council) and Mr Marcus O’ Connor, (latter Director of Services Roads and Transportation, Active Travel, Health and Safety) have all been notified. [We have been made aware that Mr Joe MacGrath will be away from his office until Friday next, January 26th, with limited access to his emails. To this end a communication has been forwarded to his secretary Ms Evelyn Harty, since this matter now requires urgent attention.]
I recall the phrase, accredited to French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1849, who wrote “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” – translated from the French “The more things change, the more they stay the same”, and meaning that despite apparent changes or advancements, certain fundamental aspects or patterns remain unchanged over time.
NCN aim to link 200 towns, cities and destinations across Ireland with a safe, connected and inviting cycle network integrating with other cycle infrastructures including greenways; encouraging people away from their cars onto bicycles, for at least 4 months of each year and expect to serve 2.8 million people upon these new network completions.
Today, here on Thurles.Info we feature the Nenagh To Thurles Route, as once set out in the 125 year old Cyclists’ Touring Club – Irish Road Book Part 1, for Tipperary South, same compiled and edited by R.T. Lang, (published in 1899). Hopefully, the National Cycling Network (NCN), will publish and continue the practise hereunder of describing the areas passed through, in a fluent and persuasive manner, in advance of the opening any future network.
Route 153. Nenagh To Thurles.
Mls from Thurles.
Places on the road.
Intermediate Milage.
Comprehensive Milage.
General description of the road.
22-3/4
Nenagh Post Office
…..
—–
From the post office turn to the left into Barrack Street and then straight on up same and over the railway bridge by an indifferent level road to Kilkeary cross-roads.
22-1/2
Railway Bridge.
1/4
22-1/4
Union Workhouse.
1/4
21-3/4
Tyone Bridge.
1/2
19
Kilkeary Cross-roads.
2-3/4
Here keep straight on leaving the R.I.C. Barrack on the rightand a direct forward road, with better surface, to Borrisoleigh.
16-1/4
Carrick Wood.
2-3/4
12-1/4
Curraghbaba Cross-roads.
4
Almost level road, but with a few slight rises and falls to Curraghbaba Cross.
9
Ballyroan Bridge.
3-1/4
For the last 2-1/2m the road winds down the valley of the Cromoge River.
8-1/4
Borrisoleigh.
3/4
14-1/2
Entering the village, pass the Church (on right) and keep straight forward on a winding but obvious road past ‘The Rag’ public house.
6-3/4
Rathmoy House.
1-1/2
5-1/4
Inch House.
1-1/2
4-3/4
The Rag, Public House.
1/2
1-1/2
Kilyon Graveyard*.
3-1/4
300 yds further bear to the left at a fork, then straight on to Kilyon*, where ascending the hill bear to the left, before reaching the graveyard and then to the right at same, then forward and over the railway bridge (Great Southern and Western Railway) into Thurles.
1/2
Union Workhouse.
1
Entering Thurles by New Street* to the Square
1/4
Railway Bridge (G.S.& W Railway).
1/4
Thurles Square.
1/4
22-3/4
With the exception of the short easy hill, at Kilyon*, a practically level road, with good surface.
Nenagh To ThurlesReverse, – Leaving Thurles Square by New Street *, pass over the railway bridge and at the workhouse turn to the left. At Kilyon* graveyard bear to the left again and 100 yards further, just as the road slopes downward towards the bog, keep to the right, and thence forward through Borrisoleigh, to Ballyroan Bridge, where turn to the right, and cross same, and then forward into Nenagh. On reaching Castle Street, turn to the right, to the post office.
Note Please*Kilyon Graveyard, is known today as Killinan Graveyard. * New Street is known today as Parnell Street, following changes to the names of certain Thurles streets and lanes by Thurles Urban District Council in more recent years.
The information, above, has been passed to Green Party Minister Mr Eamon Ryan, in an effort to progress ideas and implement this network as soon as possible on behalf of Thurles towns currently non existent tourism. [eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie].
Gardaí are advising motorists tonight to exert extreme care while travelling on the roads around Co. Tipperary, as hazardous driving conditions are being reported. Motorists are being asked to please slow down.
Vehicles travelling on the Mill Road, Thurles are particularly being warned to take extreme care as surface water is presently, despite no rain over the past week, continuing to flow out through gateways, unto a large part of the road surface.
Surface water flowing through gateways unto the Mill Road area of Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Pic. G. Willoughby
There has been a failure by Thurles Municipal District engineers over the past 2 years to clear the drains in this area.
Total failure, by Thurles Municipal District engineers, to clear drains despite being notifiedover the past 5 years. Pic. G. Willoughby
Due to promised temperatures of at least -2 tonight; the road surface in this area, is expected to become extremely icy; with schools reopening tomorrow, large volumes of traffic will attempt to use this area in an effort to avoid the town centre, altogether.
What is causing this sudden unprecedented excess surface water on the Mill Road, over the past 2 years has as yet not been identified.
This area is a natural flood-plain for the River Suir. Such natural flood-plains are increasingly being environmentally degraded and devalued. As a result of urbanisation and infrastructural development, natural flooding can result in the land surface becoming impermeable (watertight). Thus, natural drainage of water that once was allowed to pass through the soil and its numerous layers are often undermined by the construction of housing, the erection of pavements and tarmac surfaces, resulting in surface run-off, due to a sudden rapid increase in a river’s natural discharge. It should be noted that some 26 houses were granted planning permission and erected on the Mill Road, in the past 2 years and the contractor was allowed to exit the site, leaving all road drains compacted with muck from heavy machinery used.
Total failure, by Thurles Municipal District engineers, to undertake proper road repairsand surface drainageon Mill Road Thurles. Pic. G. Willoughby
Attempts to have one area of this road repaired, [View Here], on December 7th, 2023, resulted in a few shovels of cold tarmac, now rapidly vanishing, and a number of trenches being dug into the ditch, as shown in picture above.
Why in God’s name, do we continue to pay ‘Property Tax’, ‘Road Tax’ and ‘high salaries’, latter to officials, when we receive such poor response when it comes to maintaining essential services. It is becoming more evident that locally elected Councillors and their officials are no longer in control of Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the service they are supposed to supply.
Some 4 days ago, January 3rd, 2024, [View Here] on Thurles.info we highlighted the shocking state of Kickham Street’s road surface. We are delighted to report that on January 4th (and thankfully before school traffic returns) most of the multitude of potholes were filled. This work is also a very short-term safety measure, nevertheless same is to be welcomed. It is not, however, a long-term solution. Kickham Street’s full and thorough rehabilitation and resurfacing are imperative. This stretch of road accommodates huge volumes of traffic daily. Given the absence of a ring road and the deplorable state of the Mill Road alternative, (narrow driving conditions, potholes and severe flooding), there will be no decrease in traffic on this main route entering the town, that includes Kickham Street. Its maintenance and improvement is, therefore, a necessary priority and plans to initiate improvements should be implemented as soon as possible.
It would appear that our elected politicians; our Municipal District Councillors and our Thurles Municipal District officials no longer have the will or indeed the power, to organise the filling of a pothole in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Just a section of the road surface on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
The pictures shown here demonstrate a small section of road conditions being experienced by motorists over the Christmas holiday period. It must now be clear to our electorate the need to seek out fresh blood, come the local elections next March 2024, and the need to replace those who have demonstrated total contempt for our towns; its needs, while further demonstrating their total lack of respect and courtesy to those who elected them to highly paid posts.
Another view of the numerous pot holes that vehicles encounter on Kickham Street, Thurles, latter the busiest exit and entrance into the town.
Page 8 of Tipperary Co. Council’s Management Report to Council (VIEW pdf HERE), published in February of 2023, stated that the N75, Liberty Square to the Anner Hotel, (which includes Kickham Street, the most used road surface in Thurles), would involve the rehabilitation of approximately 1km of road pavement on the N75 National Secondary road within the town of Thurles, from its junction with Mitchel Street to the Anner Hotel; with the scheme then at a preliminary design stage. Back then it was anticipated that works would commence in Q4 of 2023. We now understand that this date has been postponed until possibly Q3 of 2024.
The Irish Road Safety Authority (RSA) has a statutory remit to report on fatal, serious and even minor injury collisions on our public roads.
According to the RSA, as of December 31st, 2023 last, there have been 173 fatal collisions, resulting in 184 fatalities.
Warning – Speed Kills
The above figures represent 24 higher fatal collisions and 29 more deaths, latter an increase of 19% when compared to provisional data supplied by An Garda Síochána; when again compared to the year 2022, and the highest since 2014, when, sadly, there were recorded 192 fatalities.
Of the 2023 fatalities, 57% lost their lives in single vehicle collisions, while 7 of these fatal collisions resulted in more than one death; four collisions resulted in 2 fatalities; two collisions resulted in 3 fatalities; and one collision resulted in 4 fatalities.
Statistics show that almost half of all collisions occurred under the cover of darkness, despite lower traffic volumes on our roads; with some 50% occurring on weekends.
Sadly 16 persons lost their lives due to road accidents here in Co. Tipperary in 2023, latter an increase of 7 deaths on the previous year’s total. Of these, often avoidable deaths, nationally; 78% were males and 22% were females.
Last December a meeting of Tipperary Joint Policing Committee was informed that there was a 37% increase in speeding offences detected in the first 11 months of 2023, with a total of 16,696 offences detected, when compared to 12,182, during the same period. in 2022.
Let’s all make it a new year’s resolution in 2024 to SLOW DOWN.
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